The present invention relates to an impact resistant wrapping system and, more particularly, to improvements in the versatility and handling properties of an impact resistant wrapping system in which an impact resistant space capable of expanding or being inflated with a gas is formed around an article to be wrapped.
For example, a conventional impact resistant wrapping system described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Public Disclosure No. SHO 54-136985 is known and describes an impact resistant wrapping system for forming an impact resistant space expanding with a gas. In this prior art system, a sealed annular chamber of a double structure is made of a synthetic resin film having gas barrier properties inside a cylindrical shape. In this impact resistant wrapping system, after an article to be wrapped is inserted into the sealed annular chamber, air is injected into the sealed annular chamber to form an impact resistant space constituted by the expanded and sealed annular chamber around the article.
In this prior art system, the article must be inserted inside the sealed annular chamber. For this reason, this wrapping system can be applied only to articles having a cylindrical (e.g., a circular cylinder) or columnar shape or a shape equivalent thereto, and it lacks versatility.
Also in Japanese Patent-Application publication No. SHO 63-502099 (corresp. to International Application No. PCT/US86/01989), a protective envelope for containing a fragile article is proposed in which an elastic cushion material is stuffed in a compressed flat state in between airtight membranes that are folded double and which constitute a protective envelope.
This prior art protective envelope cannot cope with a variety of articles that are different in shape. This is because the envelope has a definite shape which is defined by basically sealing the envelope along the lateal edges and bottom edges of the membranes so as to form an upper opening. Thus, this protective envelope cannot be reused nor applied to articles having various shapes, and it has limitations due to its capacity for wrapping an article.
Furthermore, under U.S. Ser. No. 08/113,660, a wrapping system is proposed for protecting various fragile articles from shock, in which inflatable cushion material is stuffed in a flat state and expands to enhance the cushioning effect when wrapping an article.
This prior art wrapping system cannot have adequate handling properties. This is because the system has a structure effecting air injection by cutting an outer membrane in order to form an impact-resistant space. Thus cumbersome operations such as air injection, are required, resulting in inadequate handling.